MS Dhoni over the years: The remarkable journey from 2004-2018 in pictures

Thanks to Sushant Singh Rajput’s brilliant portrayal, the story of MS Dhoni is now well versed with every Indian cricket fan. India’s most successful captain has had a fairytale journey, one that has seen him travel through the crests and troughs of Indian cricket, claiming a unique place for himself in the game’s folklore with an unmatched approach and a tactically brilliant mind.

Here we revisit his career through a picture series:

In the early 2000s, Rahul Dravid was thrust with the keeping gloves to improve team balance and sneak in an extra batsman. India tried hard to find a replacement, but there didn’t seem to be a permanent fix.

Getting the nod ahead of the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Deep Dasgupta, Dhoni made his international debut in December 2004, against minnows Bangladesh at Chittagong, making a bad first impression by getting run out without bothering the scorers. He learned his lesson quickly, and would go on to attain cult status for his swift running between the wickets.

Dhoni made his debut against Bangladesh in Chittagong

With scores of 12,7 and 3 in the following three matches, pressure started to mount on the 23-year-old, who was already under scrutiny for his unorthodox wicketkeeping and shoddy batting technique.

The fortunes turned for the better in his fifth ODI against Pakistan, with the skipper showing trust in him by promoting him up the order. The move paid rich dividends, as he notched up his first hundred, a knock that gave the world its first peek into Dhoni’s aggressive, unlovely, yet highly effective form of batting.

Dhoni’s first ODI century turned his career around

The knock opened the floodgates for Dhoni, who found his mojo in ODIs, travelling with the team to Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe as the primary keeper.

However, he still needed one more innings to clinch his spot permanently, and it came in the form of a bludgeoning onslaught against Sri Lanka, a few days before Diwali 2005. Promoted once again, Dhoni played a no-holds-barred knock, smashing the living daylights out of the Lankan bowlers en route to an unbeaten 183, still the highest score by a keeper in ODIs. The century gave him a spot in the Test squad as well.

Dhoni’s brutal hundred flattened Sri Lanka beyond repair

The century at Faisalabad made him a Test regular

Dhoni’s swashbuckling batting style, as well as his golden locks, became a rage with the country. However, sterner tests awaited him, as he embarked on his first tour to Pakistan with the team after being included in both the ODI and Test squads.

All remaining doubts (if any) over his batting effectiveness were quashed when he tore into the Pakistani attack in his first innings on their soil, scoring a remarkable 148 at Faisalabad at close to a run-a-ball. Epic run chases in the ODIs, with Yuvraj Singh for company, enhanced his reputation further. He also reached the No.1 spot in the ODI rankings for batsmen. A sensation had well and truly arrived.

One of the lowest points of his career came early, one that Dhoni himself admits completely changed him. A star-studded Indian side crashed out of the 2007 World Cup, losing to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to complete an ignominious exit. The whole nation was shaken. Desperate measures had to be taken to shape the future.

The selectors pulled a rabbit out of the hat by making Dhoni the captain of a rookie India side that was selected for the inaugural World T20. With no pressure on his shoulders, Dhoni went on to take the side all the way, beating arch-rivals Pakistan by a narrow margin in the finals. His unconventional bowling choices and quirky fielding positions stole the show.

Not many fancied Team India to win the inaugural World T20

A series win against Australia in the CB series followed, quickly helping the side recover from the acrimonious Test tour that featured the monkeygate. For several months, Dhoni also held the top spot in the ICC batsmen rankings, garnering runs all over the world.

It was clear that Dhoni’s impact on the team was increasing with each passing series, and he was the ideal successor to Anil Kumble as the Test captain.

Dhoni after receiving the Test mace in 2009

He scored two centuries during Sri Lanka’s visit to India in 2009, leading the side with aplomb as they secured the No.1 spot in Tests and clinched the ICC Test mace. He followed it up by leading India to a 1-1 draw against South Africa in the World Championship of Tests.

The Dhoni-Kirsten partnership was one of the most fruitful in Indian cricket

The engine was running smoothly under the Dhoni-Gary Kirsten combination.

Preparations were in place for World Cup 2011, arguably the biggest test in Dhoni’s then spotless captaincy career. The pressure was immense, unlike during the 2007 World T20.

The team clicked as a unit; spearheaded by an ageing Sachin Tendulkar, they progressed through each match to reach the final at Wankhede. A Dhoni special, a remarkable unbeaten 91, complete with a massive six at the end, brought home the ultimate glory.

Dhoni played the innings of his life in the 2011 World Cup final

The unprecedented rise was followed by a deadly abyss. India went on to lose eight Test matches on the trot, with Dhoni’s captaincy suddenly finding a host of critics. It was a difficult time for the Indian captain and his team, one that led to the senior players’ exit from the side. Age had suddenly started to show on Dhoni’s face.

Dhoni got a lot of brickbats for his uninspiring captaincy in 2011

Dhoni’s 224 is still the highest score by an Indian wicketkeeper

It took time, but the Indian team slowly found their rhythm back. Dhoni led the team during their remarkable 4-0 revenge whitewash against Australia in early 2013, compiling a sublime 224 at Chennai, the highest score by an Indian wicket-keeper in Tests. It wasn’t long after that he became India’s most successful Test captain, overtaking Sourav Ganguly’s record of 21 wins in 49 Tests.

To put the icing on the cake, Dhoni led India to their second Champions Trophy win, a sustained team effort in England. With that win, Dhoni became the first captain ever to win all the three major ICC silverware: the World Cup, the World T20 and the Champions Trophy. His place in the echelons of the greatest cricket captains had been sealed.

With the Champions Trophy win, there wasn’t anything left to achieve as a captain

He continued to captain the Indian team, but his Test fortunes continued to slide. After series losses to South Africa and England, Dhoni travelled with a young team to Australia. He stunned everyone by announcing his Test retirement midway through the series, leaving Wriddhiman Saha to don the keeping gloves, and Virat Kohli to take over the team.

Without even dropping a hint, Dhoni retired from Test cricket at the end of 2014

There were doubts about him captaining the one-day side, but he quelled all rumours by leading the side in the 2015 World Cup, motivated by the prospect of retaining the crown that he himself helped attain four years ago. His smart captaincy formed the foundation of India’s excellent run, before they stumbled and fell against hosts Australia in the semi-finals to prevent Dhoni from creating history. He tried hard, but his knock of 65 went in vain.

With Dhoni’s dismissal, India’s 2015 World Cup hopes ended

The next few series saw Dhoni’s finishing skills take a hit, even though he was still scoring runs at a fair clip. Each failure made his critics’ voices even stronger, especially because of Kohli’s increasing influence in the dressing room and his on-field performances. Last over slips against South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe hurt both him and the team badly.

Dhoni’s near-perfect finishing skills suddenly started to wane

He became a mentor to newbies like Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah in 2016

Under Dhoni, the side clinched the 2016 Asia Cup, their second win under him, and went into the 2016 World T20 all guns blazing. Dhoni’s final ball run-out of Mustafizur Rahman in the group stages showed his remarkable athleticism, while his lightning fast work behind the sticks didn’t seem to wane with progressing age.

Not playing Tests gave Dhoni enough time to rest between tours, even as Kohli led India to record-breaking wins in the longest format.

He dropped another bomb in January 2017, stepping down from the captaincy of India’s limited-overs teams. With that, Dhoni returned to where he had started, a hard-hitting batting wicket-keeper. He claimed his old form with a blistering 134 against England, but a below par Champions Trophy, coupled with his failure to finish off a chase in the West Indies, pushed him into the fire, yet again.

Critics pointed out that Dhoni had lost his finishing prowess

As Dhoni turns 37, a lot might not be left for him. Even though his batting has lost some of its gloss, his wicket-keeping hasn’t suffered at all, and he continues to be the country’s best stumper with remarkable fitness standards. It’ll take just one innings for Dhoni to roll back the years and get the trust back. Or a quiet, silently prepared statement to end it all. Enjoy it while it lasts, for there never was anyone like him, and there will never be.